When I went for a run with Haile Gebrselassie, we talked about why people take up running. One of the things we touched on is that many people want to lose weight and decide running is the way to do it. Perhaps that’s you, or you are wondering the best ways to lose weight by running? Read on to find out how to approach this for success.
Why choose running to lose weight? Why not another exercise?
On that run, we talked about why people should run, and it always came back to enjoyment. We decided running should be something you are looking forward to and running should be (mostly!) fun. If you enjoy the runs, you’ll keep doing it for months and years and be successful in reaching your running goals, one of which might be to lose weight. However, there are other forms of exercise out there that might also help on a weight loss journey, so why pick running?
Ask yourself this question:
Can I see myself enjoying going for a run?
For example, why not do cycling or swimming instead? What makes running more appealing? Here are some ideas to help you decide.
- Running is something you can do straight from home.
- It doesn’t initially require much special kit – perhaps a new pair of trainers and a sports bra or supportive running shorts.
- You can choose where you go. Swimming needs water. Road cycling needs you to stick to roads. Mountain biking needs you to stick to bridleways. You can run almost anywhere though. Road, trail, footpaths, and do a mixture.
- You’ll have time to enjoy the sights and sounds of the city or nature.
- You can stop or walk whenever you want.
If you can’t see yourself enjoying running, then pick something different that you prefer the sound of, for better chance of success.
Everyone else, you’ve decided in your mind’s eye that you enjoy the idea of running; great! Now the big question.
Is running good for weight loss?
Let’s get specific. Running is one of the best exercises for burning calories in the time available. It’s uses mostly the legs which are the biggest muscles. Therefore, once you are able to run for a decent amount of time each week, you’ll burn a decent amount of calories, and if your total calories burned then exceeds the amount you eat, you’ll start to use fat reserves and visually “lose weight”. Although you might tone a bit in the legs and core, gaining a bit of muscle to keep your running form great and avoid injury. Additionally, your bones will grow and strengthen – another massive plus from running.
However, the first time you become a runner by stepping out of the door and going for a run, the amount you will be able to run should be quite small to be safe. Even if you are fit from other exercise, your muscles need time to adapt to the movement of running, regardless of your heart and lungs fooling you into thinking you should be able to do more. If you are wondering how to start to run to lose weight, our beginner running course makes sure you build up gradually. It does this by taking you through 30 minutes of easy running and walking. The first two weeks are super gentle, especially compared to things like C25K which overweight people struggle with.
To start with, most of that 30 minutes will be walking, with only a small amount of running and a few times a week. So the amount of calories burned will be quite small and weight loss will be minimal to start with, so patience is key! However, ever little counts and will be better than sitting on the sofa all day because your fitness will improve, allowing you to do more and more with each week. After only 11 weeks, most people will be able to run for 30 minutes non-stop, at which point, you might be burning around an extra 800-1000 calories from three runs a week. If you have time to supplement that with some walks and strength work on the other days, you will consistently move towards your weight loss goals.
Then you can decide if you want to run an extra day each week, or if you want to run longer in the three runs. Can you see how it builds over time?
Should I run to lose weight?
If you aren’t sure of the answer to this, check with your doctor. They will give you the nod or give you advice on how to get into a position where you are ready to start. A general tip would be that if you can safely walk briskly for an hour non-stop, you are ready. If not, try walking before you run.
If you have a lot of weight to lose, then go for it, remembering that it’s going to take a long time to achieve it safely. However, if you only need to lose a small amount of weight, you might reach a point four or five months after starting running that you’ve lost all the weight you need to and are now at risk of being underweight. You’ll need to increase your food intake to match. For some people this sounds perfect. For others, this sounds challenging. Work out which type you are!
It’s really important for runners to have a healthy amount of fat. Running, as with any exercise, damages the cells in the muscles, so they need to repair and improve. If there’s not enough fat, the cells can’t repair properly and you’ll end up injured, unable to run and grumpy! Fat is also required to absorb nutrients from your food to be healthy in more than just body-weight. Fat is also required during hormone production. Your aim should be to look healthy, not stick-thin. Most people that stick with running for a while become total addicts, so to get a feeling for what being injured would be like, imagine having to give something up that you love and how annoyed you’d be. Perhaps a daily morning coffee.
Running is a skill, regardless of weight.
Some people instinctively know how to run properly. Others end up shuffling. This is unrelated to weight though! I’ve seen some heavy people with great running form, and some skinny runners with terrible technique. The running for beginners course takes you through the basics of running form so you nail it right from the start of your running and weight loss journey. If you have run before and are coming back to it, there is also a more in-depth course on perfecting running form. Whether you are looking to lose weight by running or just running for fun, having a good running technique will make your running journey more enjoyable.
How will I succeed in losing weight by running?
Here’s how:
- Plan long term. Aim to run for years, not months. Weight loss will happen along the way.
- Have patience. If you try and rush it, by doing too much too soon, you’ll get injured. This is the same in any type of new exercise.
- Be consistent. The runner that does slightly less each week but does it consistently over a long period of time will eventually be better than the runner that swings between doing lots one week and nothing the next.
- Be a runner. Think of yourself as a runner, right from day one! Wear what makes you comfortable running, not what makes you feel less self-conscious to random strangers that may or may not look at you. Inspire other people. Perhaps someone will see you and think “OK, if they can do it, I can do it!”
- Cross train. As a beginner runner, there’s only so much running you can safely do each week. But you can walk and cycle too, as long as you take proper rest days each week.
- Strength train. Running doesn’t train the upper body or core very well. Tackle these areas via basic strength work easily at home once or twice a week. Think plank, press ups, supermans. 10 minutes and done!
- Food. Running might make you feel more hungry. Keep an eye on how much you eat, but that’s a topic all of its own.
To sum up, make sure you are going to enjoy running, and keep going. If it’s mostly fun, you’ll do it for longer and reach your weight loss goals.
